Variable speed mechanism



June 30, 1931. Y L. M. SHERIDAN I 1,812,176

VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM Filed May' 3 1930 I "I I" 1 17 I I I I I 27/ as.

I 38 4o. 59. 55 28. 7 l

FIG. 1

F-IGLZ.

NYEN OQ.

A o ram 5% $40 end plate 16.

Patented June 2 30, 193 1 VAR ABLE s'rn sjn-{mio ram'sir f Application .filed ma a,

This invention relates to a variable speed mechanism, as described in thepresent speci fication and illustrated in the accompanying p o-fathe shafts areisecur'edthe eccentric balance f Lweights=31 and 32.- "It oanitherefore be seen' ba I drawings which form part of same.

The invention consists essentially ofthe novel features of construction pointed out broadly and specifically in the claim for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of anacceptable form 1 10 of the invention. Y i

e The objects of this invention are to construct a. centrifugal speed changing device whereby the torque exerted on the driven;

shaft willautomatically vary the gear ratio between the drivenshaft and the driving shaft and thus maintain a constant torque to be exerted on the driving shaft rfromthe prime mover thuscreating a device particularly adapted for use on motorvehicles and, the like; to facilitate the transmission of power where the load varies constantly and yet enable the prime mover to carry a steady load, and generally to provide a speed chang-. ing device simple in operation and construc-- tion and yet capablefof transmittingflample,

power for its size and economical as to its manufacture'and upkeep.

In the drawings, F'gure plan view of, the device.

1 is. a sectional I Figure 2 is an end elevationtakenfrom the driving end with the cover removed showing the interior. 1 r Like numerals of reference lndicate corre spondlng parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawingsthejn umeral 15 r V indicates a casing closed' at the ends by'the' cover plate'16 'and 17 throughone end of which projects the drive shaft 1 8 which is journalled in the bearing 19a secured to the The drive shaft 18has a-frame19 fixedly secured thereto and rotates on the ball race 20 which is secured within the hub of the large spur gear 21. To the extremity of the drive shaft is secured the gear 22which is recessed centrally to i receive the stub shaft 23 proj ectingfrom the center of the plate 24.

The frame 19 has the enlarged bosses 25 and 26 at the extremities which form'bear- 3150 ings for the short shafts 27 and 28.;To one read. Serial htiiflasai i anaso I which mesh with the large: ge'arf2 1 J and rotate therevvithfTo'the opposite-ends that. on the rotation'of the large gear the "balance: weights will rotate around-the. ax-is ofthe shafts 27 and 28.

The shafts 33 and 34"arei journalled the having the gears "38 and: 39 secured thereon. "'Thelgears 36 'and'28 meshWithjthe-gear 22 secured to the driving shaft and transmit the 136 drivez'th rough theshafts33 and"34=. to the gear-s37 and39 which 'm'eshiwith thegear 40 secured to the "extremity of; the driven shaft recess in-to which isintroducedi the stub shaft :42 projecting from the center Jo f the'plate24.

The". drivenshaft ll is encircled by th e.

ball race 43 i which fiss'ecured' 'infa *recess pro- "vide'd :in the face of the end plate 35 ,1 and: is

'journalled in the bearing lwhiehis securedl i t'othe face of the "cover plate ltit 5 ":lt will' -thusbe seenthat' the 'entirerotating I I I parts of the deviceareenclosed by the casing with arms for securing f the-"device" in the '8 chassisor fr'ame of: a-motor-Vehicleorithe like.:. The ends of 'thexdrivingshaft '18 and 'the driven shaft 41 may? either "be keywayed or ksplined. whichever may be found advan prime mover; I v In the operation of this invention the drive shaft 18 is rotatedwhich in.turn r otates the' :geaf 22, this gear coa cting 'withtthe g'ears 736 and" 38 whichare securedlto'thefshafts 33 and 34an'd rotate thegears37Jand39 these gears coa cting with the gearAO to j rojtate the -';driven shaft 4 1;"v When, ho we ver; the load or torque on "the driven-shaft:41*-becomes so 7 -great1-as to-causethe shaft 41* and the" gear to lose speed, the gears37-and 39 and the gears-36 and 381 naturally: slow; up "and; being a'ssembled'w'iththe gear 21; the'd'rive will be *backwa'rds'and the gears 36*and 38fand 37" and :39 iwill travel aroundtlieg6MfS= 22: and Q40 41;The gear'40'havingla'centrally disposed if V tageous' to. accommodate thecouplingjjor't respectively at an increasing velocity and the gears 36 and 38 will carry the gear 21 in rotation and operate the gears 29 and 30 and rotate the eccentric balance weights 31 and 32. These balance weights are journalled in the ends of the frame 19 which is fixedly secured to the drivingshaft and the weights rotate in a-plane atright anglesto the axis of the driving and driven shafts and on rotation exert a series of retarding impacts or impulses towards this axis. It will therefore be seen that any increase in torque on the driven shaft willhavethe effect of causing the planetary gears to increase their velocity in travelling around the sun wheels 22; and 10 which in turn increases the rotative speed of the eccentric balance Weights.

Thishasthe effect of increasing thenumber of impulses towards the axis of the mechanism which coupled with the forces caused .by the centrifugal action of the rotating .gear transmission the starting torque would be very high and the balance weights on starting wouldrotate'at afhigh velocity but as SQOHBS the machine got started this high torque would fall off and consequently the velocity of the balance weights would also [decrease until when running on the level they wouldhave hardly any inovement-at'all, the

"natural inclination of the balance weights beingto stay inan outward position as illustratedtin :Figure 2 and the force required to overcome this centrifugal action of the balance weights is sufficient to balance any ordinary load imposed on the driven shaft under normal conditions.

The balance weights needznot necessarily be in theposition illustrated in the drawings, :they can be either secured to the shafts 33 and 34 or geared directly to the gears .86,

37, 38 and 39 and the stationary casing 15 may be attached-to or form part of the rotating cage in which the planetary gears are ournalled and rotate therewith without chang 'ing the scope of this invention.

WhatI claimis: Y

.A variable speed mechanism comprisinga casing having covered plates closing in the ends thereof, bearing. members in each of said covered :plates, a driving shaft .journalled in one of said bearing members, a frame fixedly secured to said driving shaft and having enlarged bosses forming bearing members, a spur gear mountedon saiddriving shaft, a main gear secured to theextremity of said driving shaft, a pair-of short shafts 'journalled on said frame and having'atttheir .nthenends eccentriclbalanceiweights, a .driven .main gears.

Signed atToronto, Oanada, this 3rd day of April, 1930.

LESLIE MITCHELL SHERIDAN. 

